Apparatus for cooling and conditioning grain



2 Sheets-Sheet l r MEW/vnd INVENTOR,

ATTORNEY.

R. SHUYLER JulyA 152.8,- 1931.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN Filed Jan. 28, 1929 July 2s, 1931. R. SHUYLER 1,816,236

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND CONDITIONING GRAIN Filed Jan. 28, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .3gp/JV INVENToR,

* Pay/laid .Shy/6l.

/e/l BY%. i

A TTORNE Y.

Patented July 28, 1,931l

UNITED; STAT k BIILYNOLD'SHUYIl'JlTJL BETHEL, KANSAS ArPARA'rUs Fon COOLING AND CONDITIONING GRAINv Application med Jamiary as,v i929. seriai No. 335,419.

This invention relates to apparatus for cooling and conditioning grain, and particularly to that type in which the grain movesdownwardly by gravity While a counter current of air ispassed therethrough.

Apparatus of this type, now in use, will not properly cool and condition grain, such as wheat, corn, oats, barley, rye and seeds, under all conditions. When Ythe grain becomes damp, musty, etc., it 'has a tendency to hang* together and will not iiow readily over the fixed bales or deflectors which are set at a certain angle, thus slowing up the action of the apparatus and ofttimes causing-it to become clogged.

The principal object of the present invention is the provision of a conduit having a series of vertically disposed, adjustable baffles adapted to be adjusted `to properly handle grain under varying conditions.

Another object is the provision of. a cooling and conditioning conduit vhaving a grain seal for the grain inlet and outlet, thereby Vpreventing the escape of the air through said openings.

A further object of: this inventionfis the contemplation of a series of especially constructed and operated bailesrfor the grain and for the air.

With these general objects in view' as well as minor objects which will appear during the course of the detailed specificatiomreference will now be made to the accompanying drawingsinwhich: y ,y v

Figure 1 is an elevation` partly broken away of grain cooling and conditioning apparatus embodying this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section- A al view of a portion of the apparatus;

pn 11n@ III- III 0f Fig. 1; i

Fig.`v 3 is longitudinal sectional view taken Fig is a horizontal cross section taken on line IV-IV of'Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of form of the baileplate; and

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of another mode ifi'ed form of the baflie plate. l

., Similar reference characters designate like parts throughout the several views and the a modified 0 numeral 10`designates a vertically disposedl conduit or chute preferably made in rectangularcrojss sectional form to permit a large quantity of grain to flow therethrough in a relatively thinV stream. The conduit 10 may be made of sheet metaljwood, etc.'V ofany desired size or sh ape to meet `the requirements ofthe coolingl and conditioning to be done.

Conduit lOis provided with a closed top 11 and an inclined. closed bottom '12; y 10 is provided at its upper end with an elongated grain feed pipe 13r communicating'with a suitable grain supply and having a gate 14V pivoted at 15 and which is normally held in closed position by means of an adjustable i counterpoise 16. When j a predetermined amount of grain collects on top of the gate 14.- it will be opened sufficiently to permit a thin stream of grain to `flow into the "chute, The lower end of the chute isjprovidedwith a grain outlet 17 having a'gate'lS pivoted at i 19 and normally held in the closed position by an adjustablecounterpoise 20 which, When apredetermined amount of grain is deposited on gate V18, will permit it to open to kdischarge the grain. By the use of the special graink Vintake and outlet Vit is apparent that a 'grain' seal may be maintained for rboth the inlet and routletthus facilitating the proper seal# ing of conduit to prevent Vthe escape of. air

except through the opening provided therefor. For grains ofi different vWeights the .'counterpoise may beV adjusted toY vary the arnountof to open@` Y Y The conduit has therein, projecting-in'- wardly from'two opposite sides a series of hingedly mounted baffle plates `21-which eX-` weight necessary to cause the gate tend lengthwise, entirely across the conduit andare pivotally connected to their respec-v tiveV walls by vmeansofhinges 22.A The baliies 21 are so positioned and spaced apart that a j baffle plate on one side ofthe conduit: will project into the space between two baille plates on the opposite side `so that grain admitted through feed pipe 13 will be directed in a zig-Zag path bythe staggered'bafl'les. Y

Dry, clean grain will yflow freely over the baliles when set atV a given anglewhile damp 'or musty grain tendsto hold together-zand Will not flow freely over the baflles `when set at this given angle. 'llherefore7 the baliies must be set at a greater incline to cause the damp or musty grain to flow more rapidly. For the purpose of providing a variable inclination to the baffles, adjustable supporting means for the inner portion of the balles is provided which consists of a pair of vertically disposed end bars 23 each having a screw threaded upper extension 24C which is in operative relation with rotatably mounted worm gears 25 having a central internal thread 26 adapted to engage the threaded extension 24 to cause the side bars to be adjusted vertically. Each bar 23 is held in central alinement by a strap 9 which fits over the bar and is attached to the end of the conduit. Worm gears are mounted for rotation in hearings 26 which in turn are mounted on conduit l() and serve to prevent vertical movement of the worm gear, thereby supporting the bars in a predetermined fixed position. For rotating the two worin gears 25 at the same speed, a shaft 38 rotatably mounted in the conduit 10 is provided with worms .39 which operably engage said worm gear Shaft 38 is driven by means of a pulley 40 rigidly attached thereto. This drive mechanism may be housed to protect it from dust7 etc.

A series of vertically disposed bailies 27 are rigidly attached at opposite ends to the bars 23 and extend across the conduit to serve as deiiectors to cause the air to pass more directly in the path of the grain. These baflies 27 may be of any suitable width and extend downwardly from their respective adjacent baille plates 2l and are spaced apart from the balie plate next below, thereby forming a passageway for tie air and grain below the lower edges thereof. Each of the baffles 27 has a rolled upper edge through which passes a rod 28 that serves as a pintle for a series of rollers Q9. These rollers are positioned directly beneath the djacent baffle late 21 to support the outer portion in any desired position. It will he noted that as the bars 23 are raised and lowered the rollers 29 will Contact with the low portion of adjacent baffle plate 2l which will roll thereon as the bar is operated to change the inclination of the baffle plate. By making the bafiles 21 concave, as shown in the preferred form, grain delivered to the upper side of the baffle will start traveling rapidly due to the greater inclination of that portion of the baffle, and as it nears the inner portion of the baffle it will be directed so as to cause it to travel farther across the conduit.

For retarding the flow of the grain and spreading it it travels through the conduit$ aprons 3l are provided. These aprons are hingdly carried by the bars 23, extend entirely across the conduit and are spaced apart from the upper surface of the adjacent baille 21 to permit a thin stream of grain to pass therebetween. The apron 31 is free to swing away from the grain to permit a larger flow of grain, lout when a larger quanti of grain collects at certain portion of the baffle and the apron is forced out of the vertical position, it will tend to spread the grain over the entire baffle at a uniform depth. Any desired number of aprons 31 may be used.

A suitable supply of air is forced into the conduit at lower portion through a pipe 32 by means of a fanblower Most of the air passes upwardly around the inner ends of the` bathe in a zig-zag path passing through vthe thin stream of grain above each Baffie plate and is then delivered to any suitable collector through the outlet pipe Jf O1 wi ch h in elongated mouth 85 through which it communicates with the conduitlO.

By the falling and rolling action of the "i7 grain through the conduit the grains are separated and the must, etc.j rubbed therefrom.; .1 @il-e at the same time the air vpassing through the conduit in a counter current passes through the stream of grain at each baffle, picks up 'the small particles of foreign ma ter. cools the grain when heated7 and generally conditions it to prevent deterioration. The distance between the bailles is such that when the grain falls from one to an- ,f

other it will not be injured or broken by the fall. The baffles 9.1 are provided with outwardlv and downwardly pressed lips 36 to form slots 37 through which small quantity of air will pass to insure better conditioning of the grain. It will se no-ted'that the lips so formed as not to interfere with the free of the grain over the upper surface f the baffle plates.

` 5. which shows a concave baffle plate provided with `small perforations 30 through which thev grain cannot pass .but .hrough which a portion of the-air is permitted to travel. f

Fig. (i shows a plain baille 2l free from perforctions which is suitable for use where the Yn is in uniform condition and the air is permitted to flow only iles in the zig-Zag path.

In the operation of the apparatus counterpoise i6 isset to permit only a predetermined flow of grain into the conduit and the saine time to maintain a quantity of grain above the gate.V The grain thus admitted extends entirely across theconduit in a relativelythin stream andisso maintained by the baffles 2l and aprons 3l during its entire travel therethrough. rlfhe baffles are adjusted to the proper inclination to suit the particular class. of grain to be conditioned in the manner described above. Counterpoise 2O is also set to maintain a quantity of grain above the gate 18 and at the same time permitthe proper 'liow of grain from the apparatus.l Y In between 'the bafvilt';

to meet the varying conditions of the grain that is encountered in the ordinary elevators. The conduit may be made of any suitable length and cross section to suit the elevator structure. Furthermore with this apparatus the grain may be properly conditioned with only one handling.v

I do not wish to limit my invention to the structure shown and described as many modilicatons may be made wit-hin the scope of the p appended claims Without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is:

1. In an apparatus for conditioning grain, a vertically disposed elongated conduit having a grain inletmand a grain outlet, a series of inclined bailie plates positioned in said conduit.v to form a zig-zag passageway therein, a spreader apron positioned adjacent and spaced apart from the upper surface of one of said ba'flle plates and spaced apart from the next baiile thereabove, and means for Asimultaneously varying the angle of inclination of all of said baile plates.

2. In an apparatus for conditioning grain, a vertically disposed, elongated conduit having a grain inlet and a grain outlet, a series of inclined, curved baffle plates positioned in said conduit to form a zig-zag passageway therein, a hingedly mounted spreader Vapron positioned adjacent the upper surface of each of a plurality of said baille plates, and means for simultaneously varying'the angle of inclination of all of said baille plates. Y g

3. In an apparatus for conditioning grain,

a vertically disposed conduit-havin a gram f inlet and a grain outlet,.a series o inclined baille plates located within and projecting inwardly from opposite sides of the conduit to form zig-zag passageway therein, a vertically adjustable bar atv opposite ends of said baffles, a vertically disposed baille plate carried by said bars directly beneath the inner portion of each inclined baille, the lower edge of said vertical baflles being spaced ing across the inner portion of one of said inclined baille plates to spread grain pass-f ing thereover, and means for adjusting said apron and baille plate vertically.

In testlmony whereof, I hereunto aix my signature.

- Y REYN OLD SI-IUYLER.

apart from the next inclined baffle therebelow.

4. In an apparatus for conditioning grain a vertically disposed conduit, a series of ad.-

l justable inclined baille plates projecting inwardly from two opposite sides of said conduit to form a zig-zag passagertherein, an

apron hingedly mounted above and extend-y LOC 

